Richard Gale (born in 1802) acquired, in 1847, the Ship & Bell Inn, already renowned for its beer.

By 1853, Richard's son George Alexander was running the premises for him. Like most commercial inns of the that time, the Ship & Bell had its own brewery and within a short time, George Alexander decided that the potential for expansion was considerable.

A fire destroyed the first brewery, however a new one was built mainly using the remains of the old one. Much of the new plant, including the brewing tower, forms the premises that visitors can still see today.

George Alexander Gale continued to expand the brewery business until in 1888 he registered as a limited company.